1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to air seal devices, for openings or other passageways in a structural member, that allow the passage of elongated members, such as cables and wires, through the openings or other passageways, while restricting air flow through the openings or other passageways. More particularly, this invention relates to such air seal devices wherein the elongated members pass through the air seal devices.
2. Background of the Invention
There are certain environments in which it is desirable to pass elongated members, such as cables and wires, through an opening or passageway in a structural member, such as a wall, floor or ceiling, while preventing or restricting air flow through the opening or passageway. One such environment is a data center, and the opening or passageway is in an access floor panel, to pass cables, wires, hoses, etc. through the panel.
More specifically, data centers often have a raised floor system, sometimes called an access floor system. An access floor system is usually comprised of a continuous array of floor panels, arranged edge-to-edge, and supported above the sub-floor by support structure. The array of access floor panels usually extends wall-to-wall in the data centers. IT racks, containing and supporting the IT equipment in the data center, are supported by the access floor panels.
A plenum is formed between the sub-floor and the access floor panel array. Cables, wires, hoses, etc. to operate the IT equipment are located in the plenum, and the plenum is also used as a conduit for cooling air. Often, one or more air conditioning units supply air to the plenum, and some of the access floor panels in the access floor panel array have grates. The cooling air passes through the grates into the data center. The grates are usually designed and positioned to direct the cooling air at the IT racks. It is highly desirable that the cooling air pass through the grates for economic and efficient cooling of the IT equipment in the data center.
However, the cables, wires, hoses, etc. need to go from the plenum, through the access floor panels, and into the data center. To do that, those cables, wires, hoses, etc. usually pass through openings or passageways in one or more of the floor panels. Those openings and passageways may reduce the cooling efficiency of the data center because some of the cooling air may pass through those openings and passageways, instead of through the grates as intended and designed. More efficient and economical cooling would be achieved in a data center if a sealing device is provided that restricts air flow through openings and passageways containing cables, wires, hoses, etc.
The most economic and efficient cooling of a data center is desired for at least the following reason. A typical data center includes multiple IT racks. The equipment supported by those racks, and the associated cables and other accessories, generate a relatively high amount of heat. Because of that heat, providing adequate cooling to IT racks in the data center is of paramount importance. Moreover, it is desirable that the IT racks be cooled as efficiently as possible, as the energy costs to cool IT racks may approach a large percentage of the energy costs to operate the data center.